Night vision devices have long been used in the military to provide soldiers, aviators and sailors with the ability to view objects at night or during other low light conditions. As the military demands for night vision devices wane, manufacturers of night vision devices are starting to produce commercial products for sale to the general public. Although some of the more sophisticated night vision devices have true infrared viewing capabilities, most of the moderately prices night vision devices operate in the visible and near-infrared regions of the spectrum. Such night vision devices are commonly called star scopes because they require some light (i.e. star light) to operate.
Star scope-type night vision devices direct low intensity light (i.e. star light) through an image intensifier tube that converts the photons to electrons and multiplies the intensity of the electrons several thousand times. The electrons impinge upon a phosphor screen, wherein a visible image is produced, thereby providing some degree of night vision.
The problem typically associated with star scope type night vision devices is that they do require some ambient light to operate. Indoors and on overcast nights where there is no ambient light, star scope type night vision devices produce very limited night vision capabilities. To improve the night vision capabilities of star scope night vision devices, many such night vision devices have illuminators built into their structures. As a result, in conditions of no ambient light, the illuminator of the night vision device is capable of producing its own light, which is subsequently amplified by the night vision device and convened into a visible image.
To conserve space and limit bulk, night vision devices with integral light source often have a single power supply. Consequently, the use of the illuminator drains the power reserves of the night vision device and greatly shortens the operating period of the device.
In an attempt to make star scope type night vision devices less complicated and less expensive, adaptor brackets have been developed that enable ordinary flashlights to be coupled to the night vision device. The flashlights contain there own batteries and may have a filter that produces a monochromatic output. Consequently, they are capable of illuminating an area without draining the electrical supply of the night vision device.
An example of a mounting bracket for mounting a flashlight illuminator onto a night vision device is shown in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/215,512, filed Mar. 22, 1994 entitled ILLUMINATOR BRACKET FOR A NIGHT VISION DEVICE, and assigned to ITT, the assignee herein.
Many night vision devices are formed as goggle assemblies or as binoculars and do not have a bottom mount that enable these devices to be attached to a tripod or a similar static support. Since many night vision devices require a means for coupling a separate illuminator to the night vision device and a means for joining a static support to the night vision device, it is therefor an objective of the present invention to provide a single bracket assembly that supplies both a coupling for a separate illuminator and a means for attaching the night vision device to a static support.